Our collaboration with DataKind validated our vision, gave us a tool to field test, and generated momentum toward a data-first future. Because of our work with DataKind, we’re investing in developing the next iteration of this solution. – John Zoltner, Sr Advisor, Technology for Development and Innovation, Save the Children …

Back in 2007, more girls in Duval County, FL (population approximately 850,000) were being locked up than in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa combined. Girls were being sent to commitment programs far from their homes and subjected to horrific abuse. When the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center opened in 2013, …

The recent crises have had an uneven impact on the relationship between citizens and institutions, highlighting the need to address disparities that can’t be ignored. Specifically, the pandemic laid bare the need to close the digital divide to ensure that every community has access to health, education, and trusted information. …

We’re delighted to welcome the newest member of the team. Join us in celebrating Mignonne Fowlis as DataKind’s Senior Manager, Technical Projects! Mignonne brings her experience in project management and program design, monitoring, evaluation, and learning from the UN, NGO, and private sectors. Skilled at coordinating and executing technical projects, …

Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen how technology has led to the creation of new digital data, gaining new insights and transforming almost every sector. The same algorithms and predictive technologies that companies use to boost profits can be thoughtfully leveraged by the social sector to improve the world. …

As we close out 2022, one can’t help but think this year has been a bit special for AI. Progress has been consistent since the rise of Neural Networks and AI is already everywhere in our day-to-day lives, but this year we started to see something a little bit different …

We’re still riding the wave of excitement from our DataDive ® events earlier this month all in the name of food security. Four projects, a DataDive Ask Me Anything webinar , 300 attendees just for our kickoff event alone, and over 300 volunteers throughout the weekend. Whether you’re new to …

We’re excited to celebrate yet another stellar member of the DataKind team. Let’s hear it for Jemilah Magnusson as DataKind’s Director, Marketing + Communications! Jemilah brings 20 years of experience amplifying the voices of global, mission-driven organizations in nonprofit, government, and public affairs. Prior to joining DataKind, Jemilah led communications …

This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of successfully leveraging Data for Good—an idea that seemed novel a decade ago when data science was barely on the radar. Since our founding in 2012, we’ve worked alongside the social sector community, leading as a technical partner and driving social change with the …

Black wealth data can unlock solutions to advance racial wealth equity, showing leaders where and how to invest to disrupt systemic inequities and generate sustained Black wealth accumulation. DataKind partnered with the Black Wealth Data Center on their recently released, first of its kind Racial Wealth Equity Database , drawing …

We’re honored to share that DataKind’s Data Observation Toolkit (DOT) has been recognized as a Digital Public Good and added to the Digital Public Goods Alliance DPG Registry . The goal of the DPGA and its registry is to promote digital public goods in order to create a more equitable …

We’re thrilled to introduce you to one of the newest members of our team. Shout out to Matt Harris as DataKind’s Head of Data Science! Matt brings more than 20 years of experience in software development, product management, and data science leadership to DataKind. In this new role at DataKind, …

By: Mitali Ayyangar, Matthew Harris, Caitlin Augustin, and Ivy Wang Background Data is revolutionizing how people access health services. For community-based care providers, the ability to target treatments has the potential to be transformative. Digital tools in the hands of Community Health Workers (CHWs) make it easier to collect routine …

As we celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary , this year also marks another major milestone, our decade-long partnership with Teradata. Teradata Cares, and their focus on Doing Good With Data TM , has always aligned perfectly with the DataKind mission to harness the power of data science and AI in …

By DataKind San Francisco Background How can data infrastructure be optimized to help support the financial empowerment of women? Currently, only four percent of all small business loans from mainstream financial institutions go to women, according to a report by the National Women’s Business Council. As MDRC’s recent impact evaluation …

By John Harnisher, PhD, Advisor, DataKind Education DataKind has engaged in two fascinating projects which propose solutions linked to student guidance and help to answer the question which many students pose in their learning journey, “What do I do next?” This question is often an indication of deeper needs or …

We’re continuing to honor our 10 Year Anniversary and the Power of Partnerships, reflecting on our project with Accountability Counsel (a Teradata Cares-funded project), and as they look to the future, seeing where there are opportunities and challenges with data science in supporting their mission. Millions of people around the …

DataKind recently brought together more than 100 data science volunteers from over 20 different countries, from Brazil, India, Singapore, and more, for our annual Global Volunteer Summit. The Summit was once again a joint effort between DataKind team members and a volunteer planning committee. Volunteers developed a majority of the …

The wealth gap between Black and White Americans, an important measure of inequality, has been worsening since the 80s. After the rapid wealth concentration we saw during the pandemic, the gap is growing even faster. In 2019, Black American households held only one-sixth the wealth of White American households. DataKind …

by Rich Carder, DataKind DC Chapter Co-Leader and Data Strategy & Analytics Officer at the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Global food insecurity is sharply on the rise. According to the World Food Programme, in 2022, 345 million people are facing or at risk of facing acute food insecurity, up over 200 …

by Lauren Woodman, CEO, DataKind As DataKind marks a major milestone—our 10th Anniversary—I’m wondering if our past ten years of Data Science and AI for Good work have simply been the warm up act for the challenges the world is facing in 2022 and beyond. I recently participated in the …

like Tech with Tim, Ben Awad, and Fireship.io (all educational!). Join us in advancing the use of data science to support causes that can help make the world a better place. Interested in supporting our work? Donate here. Interested in sponsoring a project? Partner with us. Interested in volunteering with …

We’re very excited to introduce you to Jaton “Jay” Justice , DataKind’s DevOps Engineer! Hailing from Los Angeles, Jay brings more than 10 years of experience in information technology, including IT support, automation scripting, and project management. At DataKind, he’ll support multiple simultaneous data science project teams, strengthening and keeping …

Helping communities mitigate financial shocks With inflation now running at a 40-year high (+7.9%) and gas prices up over 50% since this time last year, millions of American families are experiencing significant financial setbacks. Economic shocks have wide-ranging effects, including an increased need to access credit, unstable housing conditions, difficulty …

We’re excited to announce that DataKind has launched a cohort of seven U.S.-based, economic empowerment-focused DataCorps ® projects! This cohort of projects is part of a portfolio of work that we kicked off in 2021 to leverage data science and AI with mission-driven organizations focused on economic resilience across the …

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Background Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is critical for healthy and humane living conditions. Clean water and sanitation improves health and supports development in other sectors, such as education (particularly for women and girls), environmental stewardship, and the economy. Policy decisions around development and financing for WASH …

By DataKind San Francisco How can we better understand equity in local governments and the resources they provide to our communities? The City of San José is the tenth most populous city in the U.S., and one of the most diverse . The City of San José’s Mayor’s Office of …

By Shanna Lee, Director, Global Volunteers, DataKind As Global Volunteer Month approaches its end, we thank our global volunteer community past and present for your support of DataKind. We hosted a volunteer appreciation and networking event on April 21. It was a great time to reflect on recent DataKind happenings …

At DataKind, we take an expansive definition of data ethics and responsible data science as broad terms that can be used to describe the appropriate handling of data, use and performance of models, inclusion of stakeholders, staffing of teams, and more. Incorporating ethical review and responsible data science practices has …

Data Integrity and the Future of Intelligent Community Health Systems in Uganda One billion people lack access to healthcare because they live too far from a health facility, so digitally-enabled Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been a lifeline in communities where health infrastructure is lacking. For instance, it’s estimated that …

By Afua Bruce, Chief Program Officer, DataKind This is the second blog post in our ethics blog series. Read about how DataKind defines data ethics and embeds ethical checks throughout the project process in this introductory blog on our ethical and responsible data science practices at DataKind. This blog includes …

By Rachel Wells, Senior Manager, Center of Excellence, DataKind At DataKind, we take an expansive definition of data ethics and responsible data science as broad terms that can be used to describe the appropriate handling of data, use and performance of models, inclusion of stakeholders, staffing of teams, and more. …

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By DataKind San Francisco From financial forecasting to targeted advertisements, advancements in data collection and analysis have benefited a myriad of for-profit organizations today. Unfortunately, due to limited funds and resourcing, such benefits often don’t reach social impact initiatives. At DataKind, our core mission is to enable mission-driven organizations to …

We hosted a DataDive ® event in fall 2021, and with it being the season of giving, we thought what better time to share some highlights and express our deepest gratitude to our partners, volunteers, and sponsors for making this yet another successful and impactful event. While it was fully …

We’re excited to introduce you to Rachel Ford , DataKind’s Project Manager for our project work with Google.org! Rachel brings her experience in grant project management, partnerships, and nonprofit programs to DataKind. At DataKind, Rachel will ensure the success of specific DataKind programming by managing select partner relationships and overseeing …

We’re thrilled to announce that DataKind has yet again received support from Google.org to apply data science and AI for good! As a longtime supporter of DataKind, Google.org’s latest funding is helping DataKind advance economic empowerment through new data science and AI projects. Building on our Economic Resilience Impact Practice …

At DataKind, we strive every day to ensure we’re living our values. In an effort to continue to live up to our values of equity and respecting the richness of our community, we have an exciting announcement. We’re happy to share that the Chapter formerly known as DataKind Bangalore is …

We’re delighted to welcome the newest member of the team. Join us in celebrating Raina Han as DataKind’s Senior Director, Development! Raina comes to DataKind with more than a decade of experience building philanthropic partnerships, primarily in international and sustainable development. With a passion for collaboration, she’ll lead the Development …

By Rachel Wells, Senior Manager, Center of Excellence, DataKind Last week, we announced the public release of DataKind’s Playbook and hope you’ve had a chance to explore the Playbook. Now, you might be wondering how we got here or want to co-create a Playbook for your community. This blog outlines …

By Rachel Wells, Senior Manager, Center of Excellence, DataKind Have you ever wanted a behind-the-scenes look at how we work at DataKind? Interested in learning best practices and lessons learned from almost a decade of doing Data Science and AI for Good? Do you have a passion for providing pro …

Next year DataKind will celebrate our 10-year anniversary, and we couldn’t be more excited to share what the DataKind community has accomplished in that time and our vision for the future. This is a major milestone for us as we continue to deepen the use of data science, machine learning, …

In late 2015, DataKind scoped a DataCorps® project with an ambitious challenge: help a team of researchers with the Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP), led by DataKind partner Conservation International , make evidence synthesis easier and more accessible to a wide community of conservation practitioners. Evidence synthesis is …

The onslaught of COVID-19 and the subsequent economic recession has left many without a plan to cover the costs of housing. Recently, the federal moratorium on evictions, designed to protect millions of tenants from being forced from their homes, was struck down by the Supreme Court. According to a recent …

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of death worldwide. Often referred to as the “forgotten pandemic” it’s a disease found in every country in the world, and one of the most deadly . It’s responsible for the cycle of poverty and illness that traps individuals, families, and communities for …

We’re thrilled to welcome Lauren Woodman as the new CEO of DataKind. She brings to the role over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of technology, development, policy, and NGOs, and we know we’ll do great things together! We sat down with the tech-for-good veteran to discuss DataKind’s …

We’re thrilled to introduce Lauren Woodman as our new CEO! Lauren’s notable career has been defined by the intersection of technology, development, and policy. She’ll lend her expertise to expanding DataKind’s reach to generate sustained support for Data Science and AI for Good projects and to continue solving community-based problems. …

Data ethics are essential for delivering responsible data science, machine learning, and AI projects. However, as a growing field, they’re hotly debated, and many – DataKind included – turn to experts to learn from their experiences. At DataKind, we understand that with overwhelming information, and a changing field, experts can …

Across the U.S. and around the world, cities and communities are responsible for addressing the everyday needs of their residents. From providing critical safety net services to fostering economic development opportunities and advocating for individuals in need, local governments have a growing list of responsibilities. Collecting and analyzing data can …

Meet Dona Stewart ! Dona was the Data Ambassador in our first project with the Future of Land and Housing (FLH) Program at New America, one of our partners under our Economic Resilience Impact Practice. Dona led the team of volunteer data scientists analyzing evictions and mortgage foreclosures across the …

Background & Context From facing an unexpected bill to losing your job, to being repeatedly refused loans to start your own business, economic shocks can come in many forms and have wide-ranging effects on the independence, opportunity, and life outcomes of individuals and communities. The ability to withstand, or recover …

DataKind recently brought together over one hundred of our volunteers virtually from fourteen different countries, from Brazil to South Africa, for a first-of-its-kind Volunteer Summit. While we’ve had small convenings of volunteer leaders before, as well as large volunteer convenings to accomplish specific projects (known as DataDive ® events), this …

We’re thrilled to have our newest member of the team with us. Shout out to Sophia Harms as DataKind’s Manager, Technology! Sophia comes to DataKind with extensive experience in customer relationship management and digital engagement, mainly with political and nonprofit organizations. With a passion for technology that’s widely accessible and …

Meet Matt Harris ! He’s a superstar that’s held many volunteer roles here at DataKind. More recently, he has been working with Jacaranda Health, one of our long-term partners based in Kenya under our Frontline Health Systems Impact Practice. In this project , he worked on the AI driven software …

Last month, we celebrated nearly a decade of harnessing the power of data science and AI in the service of humanity. It seems like just yesterday that we hosted our first-ever DataDive® event. Since that weekend in New York , so much has changed, but a few things remain the same.

We’re celebrating the newest member of our team. Join us in welcoming Nelsa Peña as DataKind’s Senior Manager, Human Resources! Nelsa comes to DataKind with over ten years of Human Resources, mainly in the nonprofit sector. With a strong passion for equity and inclusion, Nelsa will ensure the well-being and …

Say hello to Manojit Nandi ! As a Data Expert, he recently worked on a project with Medic , our longstanding partner under our Frontline Health Systems Impact Practice , to improve predictive models for better maternal and child health outcomes. By day, Manojit’s a Data Scientist at Microsoft Research …

By Mallory Sheff, Portfolio Manager, Economic Resilience Impact Practice, DataKind The divide between the advanced and developing world continues to deepen, with inequalities in economic opportunity accelerating due to COVID-19. Those who are economically disadvantaged have been impacted the hardest. Globally, 150 million people are likely to be pushed into …

We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Shiny Chu to the team. She’s joining us as DataKind’s Associate, Operations! Shiny’s always been passionate about working in the social sector. Through marrying her interests in operations and nonprofits, she hopes to learn all aspects of nonprofit management and play a key role behind …

We’re thrilled to welcome yet another stellar member to the DataKind team. Please join us in celebrating Caroline Charrow as DataKind’s Senior Manager, Network! Caroline comes to DataKind with over a decade of experience connecting geographically dispersed staff and volunteers at Teach For America and Khan Academy, and has seen …

Note: This article originally appeared on Johnson & Johnson ‘s Center for Health Worker Innovation website . They’ve granted us permission to repost. A recent survey shows that a majority (56%) of a frontline healthcare worker’s time is spent accessing and updating patient records instead of caring for patients. Community …

A lack of access to appropriate, affordable, and reliable motorized transport prevents millions of people from accessing healthcare services. Riders for Health (Riders) have created a unique system that guarantees healthcare services to 47 million people across five African countries, many of whom live in rural and remote regions. The …

Meet Kelson Shilling-Scrivo! He’s a volunteer with DataKind DC and recently worked with the Red Cross to create a national fire risk score . As the Data Ambassador, he worked alongside the rest of the volunteer team to predict the locations in greatest need of intervention so that the Red …

Let us introduce you to Priyanka Kalmane ! She started off as a volunteer with DataKind DC, but after returning to India, is now a volunteer with DataKind Bangalore. Harnessing the power of data science for good is what inspires her. Priyanka’s a Data Specialist at Quality Education and Skills …

By Shanna Lee, Director, Global Volunteers, DataKind Time is a moment that occurs only once. People share their time in different ways with family, friends, community, or on their own. How we spend our time and who we share it with has become more important as we adjust in response …

Benjamin Kinsella, Technical Project Manager & Rachel Wells, Senior Manager, Center of Excellence DataKind is on a mission to harness the power of data science and AI in the service of humanity. We do this by bringing together our international community of pro bono technologists with mission-driven organizations. We help …

By Jackson Thomas, Project Manager, DataKind In early 2020, as part of its commitment to building the field of Data Science for Social Impact, data.org launched the $10 million Inclusive Growth and Recovery Challenge in partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth . DataKind served …

We recently hosted our DataDive Report Back, keeping with the theme of Trust, Transparency, Togetherness: Powering Public Data for Communities , and we’re honored and humbled by the level of excitement and engagement that we received from our first first virtual DataDive event of 2021. When we call on our …

Approximately six out of every 10 countries lack adequate systems for counting births and deaths. Every misclassified or unrecorded [maternal or neonatal] death is a lost opportunity to ensure other mothers and babies don’t die in the same way. Lwala Community Alliance is on a mission to build the capacity …

Say hello to Kelsey Meagher! She’s a volunteer with DataKind San Francisco and a Data Ambassador on a project with TechnoServe , an international nonprofit that aims to reduce poverty in the developing world by empowering smallholder farmers.

At DataKind, we love NYC Open Data Week ! It’s a unique opportunity for us to reconnect with our community, partners, and friends. And given that we just wrapped our first virtual DataDive ® event of 2021 with the theme of Trust, Transparency, Together: Powering Public Data for Communities , …

At DataKind, 2021 represents a new chapter – one of growth and an infusion of new leadership to our movement. As our stellar COO, Russatta Buford, stepped into the Interim Executive Director position, we also welcomed Elizabeth Grossman , our amazing Board Chair. Elizabeth has been a passionate and committed …

Say hello to Rachelle Kresch! She was the Project Manager on our risk modeling project with Medic , one of our expert partners under our Frontline Health Systems Impact Practice.

With the theme of Trust, Transparency, Togetherness: Powering Public Data for Communities, more than 700 people representing 31 countries registered to attend the high-energy, marathon-style, weekend-long event.

This blog is part of DataKind’s Center of Excellence blog series, as we lead the efforts of ensuring that the findings of the survey are being incorporated into our volunteer opportunities at DataKind.

By DataKind San Francisco After the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami devastated eastern Japan and caused the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown in 2011, the public lacked accurate and trustworthy radiation information. Safecast was formed in response to democratize data access, growing quickly in size, scope, and geographic reach as its …

Across the U.S. and around the world, cities and local communities are responsible for addressing the everyday needs of their residents. From providing critical healthcare services to fostering economic development opportunities, communities have a growing list of responsibilities. Collecting and analyzing open data can provide local leaders new opportunities to …

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and related pandemic spending represent the biggest bailouts in U.S. history – Congress approved nearly $4 trillion in pandemic relief spending in 2020.

As we celebrate a new year with new leadership, let’s first reflect on the many ways that 2020 was a year like no other. COVID-19 reshaped the world. As countries went in and out of lockdowns, the global economy faltered and poverty rates spiked. George Floyd’s tragic death followed literally …

Meet Pratik Sachdeva. He was a Data Expert on our Risk Modeling project with Medic Mobile , one of our expert partners under our Frontline Health Systems Impact Practice.

We’re honored to welcome Phil Azar as the newest member of our team.

We’re excited to have longtime volunteer Emily Yelverton onboard as our newest Technical Lead.

We’re excited to introduce you to Lili Tang , a volunteer Data Expert who worked on our Data Integrity project with Medic Mobile, one of our expert partners under our Frontline Health Systems Impact Practice.

As part of our COE blog series on project processes and best practices at DataKind, we’re excited to share this introduction to scoping.

By Jake Porway, Co-Founder & Executive Director, DataKind *This article was originally posted on October 7, 2020 but has been reposted with updates. Well, it’s hard to believe, but we’ve just about made it through 2020. I know this year has been a tough one for all of us. In …

In the spirit of staying connected, we held a virtual event powered by Teradata to celebrate what the Data for Good community has done to make the world a better, safer, healthier, and fairer place. With the theme of “Empowering Communities, Serving Humanity”, we “charged” things up with lightning talks by volunteers sharing work that they’ve done over the past year.

What happens when the original data begins to get a bit stale and as new insights are learned? DataKind DC and the American Red Cross (Red Cross) have spent the past year answering these questions.

Nick Hamlin lives to make social good data accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone. As GlobalGiving ’s first Data Scientist, Nick wears many hats, including leading the organization’s data strategy, building and maintaining core infrastructure, and designing experiments to evaluate program impact.

Riders wanted to explore ways to ease their couriers’ burdens while speeding up the process of digitizing the data from handwritten forms – ideally in near-real-time! To address this challenge, DataKindⓇ developed “ROCR”: a prototype optical character recognition assisted form-capture tool that extracts and predicts key handwritten fields in the standard sample-transport forms used by Riders’ operations in Nigeria – and records them in a digital logbook.

Housing insecurity is a looming crisis in the United States: nearly 5 million Americans lose their homes through eviction and foreclosure.  The onslaught of COVID-19 and subsequent economic depression is leaving many without a sustainable plan to cover rent or mortgages. Though its ultimate impact will take years to clearly understand, we know that the loss of property and forced displacements are intensely traumatic financially, physically, and emotionally.

WeRobotics is a nonprofit organization dedicated to scaling and accelerating the positive impact of humanitarian, environmental, and public health projects by localizing appropriate robotics solutions such as drones.

Alexander Sack started his career working on operating systems and system programming, but it was his love for gradient descent that led him on the path to becoming a Machine Learning Engineer for Corteva Agriscience.

Without trust in community-collected health data, how can leaders confidently invest in frontline health systems, make informed decisions about public health policy, and grasp opportunities to optimize health service delivery and patient outcomes?

DataKind is conducting a global survey to better understand the Data for Good (D4G) Community.

As part of expanding our work into the next chapter , DataKind is thrilled to announce the launch of our new Center of Excellence: A cross-discipline team of experts committed to creating an ecosystem of excellence across DataKind’s global programs.

DataKind’s data scientist volunteers are the engine of what we do, applying their expertise to assist high-impact, mission-driven organizations tackle the world’s biggest challenges.

We’re thrilled to introduce you to Melinda Gomez Tellez , a volunteer Data Expert who worked on our Data Integrity project with Medic Mobile , one of our expert partners under our Frontline Health Systems Impact Practice.

We’re incredibly excited to announce that Cherie Austin has joined us as DataKind’s Senior Manager, Human Resources! As a member of the Operations Team, Cherie will ensure the wellbeing and productivity of our growing DataKind team, leading the hiring and onboarding process and managing our day-to-day people operations. One of …

DataKind is thrilled to partner with data.org on the $10 Million Inclusive Growth and Recovery Challenge ! Launched in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and The Rockefeller Foundation , the goal of the Challenge is to find exceptional ideas from around the globe that apply data science …

Note: This article originally appeared on the Frontline Health Workers Coalition website . They’ve granted us permission to repost. By Asif Akram, Living Goods | Caitlin Augustin, DataKind | Jeanne Koepsell, Save the Children Digital health tools are transforming how primary health care services are delivered around the world, with …

At DataKind, we are pursuing an ambitious new strategy to accomplish Impact Practices, a new model for systems change with data science. To do that, we need to coordinate across our strategy and our operations, make sure our Executive Team is working well, and ensure Jake (our Founder & Executive Director) is in the right places at the right times. That’s why we’re so honored to welcome Sasha Neha Ahuja (she/her) as our first Chief of Staff! Sasha is charged with supporting Jake and the Executive Team (Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Program Officer), ensuring they’re prioritizing the highest impact opportunities in advancing DataKind’s mission and growth.

The header image above courtesy of Muso. By DataKind San Francisco About Muso Muso is an NGO with a mission to eliminate preventable deaths rooted in poverty. In Mali, Muso operates at ground zero of health inequity. Mali has the fifth highest rate of child mortality in the world at …

With the recent launch of data.org’s Inclusive Growth & Recovery Challenge , we’re working hard to design and execute key aspects of the program. As our new Project Manager, Jackson Thomas will take the Challenge to the next level, and we couldn’t be more excited.

Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our mission. They’ve inspired people to use their skills in ways they never dreamed of. They’ve slayed misconceptions. They’ve shown organizations trying to make the world a more humane place how data science and AI can change the game.

By Benjamin Kinsella, Technical Project Manager, DataKind Written texts are everywhere, from documents and notes to surveys and forms. While every organization has access to these rich sources of information, they can also be overwhelming. For example, how can a resource-constrained mission-driven nonprofit derive value from the mountain of text …

Like so many of you, we’re deeply shaken by the deaths of Breonna Taylor, an EMT who was shot in her home in Louisville, Kentucky; Ahmaud Arbery who was hunted down while out for a run in his own neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia; Tony McDade who was gunned down by …

We’re thrilled to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Larry Kilroy, DataKind’s new Director, Technology! 

A technical strategist with deep experience in the social justice and global development space and a focus on globally-reaching, data-driven solutions, Larry will play a key leadership role at DataKind and for our Chapters around the world. He will spearhead technology initiatives and build and manage our tech team as well as create and implement best-in-class systems and processes related to data security. He comes to DataKind with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of technology strategy, organizational development, policy leadership, product management, and communications. Read more about Larry below, and join us in welcoming him to DataKind.

We’re incredibly excited to announce that Mallory Sheff has joined us as DataKind’s Portfolio Manager. As a member of the Product Team, Mallory will oversee a portfolio of volunteer-led projects using cutting-edge technology to help inspiring organizations worldwide make a greater impact. In this highly visible and high-impact role, she’ll …

We’re beyond grateful to welcome yet another stellar member to the DataKind team. Please join us in celebrating Gwen Hopkins as DataKind’s new Director, Operations. Gwen is a master at process and workflows and will work closely with our Chief Operating Officer to develop and implement systems that promote organizational …

By Nicole Holgate, Communications Officer, DataKind UK I began my new role as Communications Officer at DataKind UK in the middle of February. One of the many things I was excited about was working with the community of volunteers who lead their charity support services through committees and events. I …

By DataKind San Francisco DataKind San Francisco has a lot to celebrate. Over the past year, we’ve partnered with six nonprofit organizations to augment their strategies and services with data science: Empower Work , Glide Foundation , Hello Sunday Morning , Muso , UFW Foundation , and Worldreader . These …

By Suzy East, Project Manager, DataKind UK Around the beginning of March, with four weeks to go until our Spring DataDive, Coronavirus was not the distant threat it had been in January. By the middle of March, with just two weeks until our event, it was clear that we had …

Background Hello Sunday Morning (HSM) is an Australian-based nonprofit that has grown to be the largest online movement for alcohol behavior change. The organization aims to change alcohol behavior in the world by helping its members reduce high-risk drinking through peer support and counseling. This is done through Daybreak , …

Dear DataKind Community, Like all of you, we’re grappling with the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation. What may have appeared as a temporary disruption to our work lives has shown itself to be a long-term battle to be waged on many fronts, from health, to the economy, to civil stability. We …

Dear DataKind Community, Like all of you, we’re grappling with the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation. What may have appeared as a temporary disruption to our work lives has shown itself to be a long-term battle to be waged on many fronts, from health, to the economy, to civil stability. We …

We’ve been eagerly waiting to share the news of our latest addition to the team, and we’re thrilled to finally introduce you to Rachel Wells , DataKind’s Senior Manager, Center of Excellence! The Center of Excellence is a newly-created team that will drive innovation and improvement as well as create …

At DataKind, we’re fortunate enough to welcome not only one new member of the team this week, but two new members of the team. And with that, we’re excited to introduce you to Asnat Ghebremedhin , DataKind’s Associate, Business Development. With a background in program management and fundraising, Asnat is …

We’re delighted to share with you the newest member of the team, Jenn Chowdhury , DataKind’s Manager, Communications. Born in Dhaka and raised in Brooklyn, Jenn brings several years of communications experience in social impact. As our Manager, Communications, she’ll play a strategic role supporting DataKind through codifying and building …

Note: This article originally appeared on Partnership on AI’s website . They’ve granted us permission to repost. By Lale Tekisalp As the AI community continues to improve the development, deployment, and governance of AI systems, we are seeing that most of the social sector remains unable to take advantage of …

By DataKind San Francisco Worldreader is a global nonprofit making digital reading accessible in underserved communities. Their unique impact model involves partnering with publishing companies, government agencies, and tech companies to deliver free material via e-readers and their mobile application. To track engagement on their platform, Worldreader analyzes user activity. …

By Jake Porway, Founder & Executive Director, DataKind Hello DataKind friends to the most sci-fi of all years, 2020! Last year, we saw AI continue its downswing into ill repute. It’s hard to separate bad AI behavior from the negative views of the big tech companies and billionaires that work …

We’re incredibly excited to announce that Afua Bruce has joined us as DataKind’s Chief Program Officer! As a member of the Executive Team, Afua will lead all of our programs, including our global project portfolio, our new Impact Practice model for tackling sector-wide challenges, our Center of Excellence for ensuring …

Artificial intelligence (AI), when designed and used responsibly, can help tackle big societal challenges and bring benefits to cities and communities in areas such as sustainability, education, transportation, and housing. However, for too many of the organizations with deep expertise in civic issues and deep connections in their communities, the …

Happy New Year data do-gooders! We can’t believe 2020 marks eight years since the DataKind community first came together. In just seven short years, we’ve built a global chapter network across New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Bangalore, Singapore, and the United Kingdom of more than 20,000 data scientists, AI …

By Jamie Rickman, DataKind UK Volunteer DataKind UK teamed up with Mind in the City , a local branch of the national mental health charity. Our findings brought into focus the formidable challenge of delivering mental health services to diverse local communities and showed how basic data science techniques can …

By Nick Sorros, DataKind UK Ethics Committee Ethics is an increasingly important topic in the area of data. From Amazon’s sexist hiring algorithm to Google’s racist photo tagging system and Northpointe’s biased recidivism scores, there are plenty of examples lately of technologies built around data that are causing harm. And …

By DataKind San Francisco An unresolved conflict at work, unconscious bias from a boss, an unexpected layoff. We all have experienced some of this at some point in time and can understand how a seemingly peaceful workplace can suddenly become tough and how important it is to have someone to …

We’re hiring for several new roles at DataKind! This has been a truly exciting year, one of transformation and growth. As you know, along with our global network of pro bono data scientists, we’ve been on a journey to help social organizations apply their data to predictive analytics, machine learning …

Image above — Construction and development permits for the city of Miami, FL. The Code for Miami project developed machine learning models that were able to predict how long a given permit was likely to remain in review by the city. We can’t believe it’s been just a few weeks …

By DataKind San Francisco The abundance of produce grown in the US is made possible due to the hard work of farm workers. Many workers are paid poverty wages to do this laborious work. Those workers that are immigrants are further vulnerable to exploitation. Organizations like the UFW Foundation are …

By DataKind San Francisco There’s a silent Hepatitis C epidemic within San Francisco’s homeless and marginally-housed community. While symptoms may be slow to appear, chronic Hepatitis C destroys the lives of people who are infected by causing liver scarring and failure. Fortunately, recent medical advances have transformed the treatment process …

By Caitlin Augustin, Director of Product, DataKind It’s been a busy nine months here at DataKind. We’ve been heads down, working towards a standing body of work where we’ll manage thoughtful, thematically-linked cohorts of DataCorps projects, called DataKind Impact Practices . To drive sector-wide change, DataKind is looking to use …

By Jake Porway, Founder & Executive Director At DataKind, we’re on the precipice of a significant strategic shift . Over the last seven years, our intrepid community of data scientists have generously donated their time and skills to complete over 300 projects with social good partners through our DataCorps and …

Hi DataKinders! As many of you know, we announced a search for a new President position for DataKind to lead the organization through its next phase of growth. The goals for that hire were twofold. First, we needed someone who would design and execute a strategy for providing DataKind’s data …

DataKind has teamed up with Microsoft to use data for good yet again, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! At DataKind, our mission is to harness the power of data science and AI in the service of humanity. Similarly, Microsoft believes that AI, when designed and used responsibly , can …

By DataKind DC DataKind DC held its first citizen science DataDive last month. Citizen Science is the public contributing to the scientific process, usually by helping with data collection. More than 50 data scientists showed up over the weekend (April 27-28, 2019) to help organizations collate, visualize, and analyze data …

By DataKind UK At the beginning of 2019, we surveyed members of the DataKind UK community on their attitudes towards the responsible use of data science and AI. We uncovered a range of differing views and levels of optimism from DataKinders. Asking people to list the words they associated with …

Hi DataKinders! As many of you know, this is a momentous year for DataKind . We received a major grant from The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to continue DataKind’s mission to harness the power of data science and AI in the service of humanity. As …

We’re thrilled to introduce you to the newest member of the DataKind team, Russatta Buford, DataKind’s Chief Operating Officer! As we set out to scale our impact and set DataKind up to support the data science for social good ecosystem in the long run, Russatta will be a critical member …

By Christine Henry, Head of Ethics Committee, DataKind UK How can a charity identify key ethical principles against which they can assess the ethical impacts of digital/data projects; and how can they communicate this with their tech partners when developing digital/data projects? DataKind UK was tasked with these questions by …

Guest post from DataKind San Francisco. Consider the daily shower: a private space, some soap and hot water, and peace of mind. It’s a daily ritual for the more fortunate of us, but an unaffordable luxury to those who live on the streets of San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. …

Dear DataKinders, This is a big moment. You’ve been with us from the start because you believed that we had the opportunity to redefine how data science is used in pursuit of humanity’s greatest values. You pitched in your time, your efforts, and your support to make that happen. You …

Image above courtesy of The Commit Partnership Founded in 2012, The Commit Partnership (Commit) is a coalition of more than 200 partners (public and private schools, colleges and universities, foundations, businesses, and nonprofits) that work to solve Dallas County’s biggest systemic education challenges, including improving early childhood education, preparing and …

We’re thrilled to announce that DataKind is receiving major support from the new Data Science for Social Impact collaborative funded by The Rockefeller Foundation and the Mastercard Impact Fund – administered by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth . Data Science for Social Impact is a transformational model for collaborative …

By Jake Porway, Founder & Executive Director, DataKind It’s with a bittersweet note that we wish a fond farewell to Emma Prest, the Executive Director of DataKind UK. Emma has served valiantly as the leader of DKUK since 2014, when she joined this fledgling charity as a general manager, staffed …

It’s that time of the year again when folks share their predictions for the year ahead. There have been a couple of lists of AI trends, which arrive at some rough consensus that in 2019 we’ll likely see breakthrough trends in better AI assistants , increased logistics efficiency , and …

Hello DataKinders! Wow, what a year it’s been! The world has changed so much. AI is now a mainstay in the terminology, ethics is the hottest topic since data privacy, and so many tech companies have started providing more pro bono services. It’s been a wild ride, but one thing …

Wow, what a year! In the past 12 months, we’ve welcomed two new members of staff and two new trustees, completed 15 charity projects, held our biggest DataDive ever with ~130 people, and worked with hundreds upon hundreds of amazing volunteers. Thanks to everyone in our community — we couldn’t …

We’re thrilled to announce that DataKind has teamed up with Google to apply AI for social impact! The Google AI Impact Challenge is an open call for nonprofits, academics, and social enterprises around the world to apply with proposals for how they could use AI to help address some of …

DataKind is looking for a Senior IT Manager based out of our New York (Brooklyn) office . Named as one of Fast Company’s 10 most innovative nonprofits in their 2017 World’s Most Innovative Companies List, we are a global organization that harnesses the power of data science in the service …

We’re so pleased to announce that DataKind is officially joining the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence! The Partnership on AI (PAI) is a multi-stakeholder organization bringing together for-profit industry, civil society organizations, and academia to study and formulate the best practices on AI technologies, to advance the public’s understanding of AI, and to serve as an open platform for discussion and engagement about AI and its influences on people and society. We couldn’t be more aligned to this cause as our mission at DataKind is virtually synonymous — to create a world in which data science and AI are used ethically and capably in the service of humanity. There’s huge potential to reach this goal together, and we’re humbled to be a member of the partnership.

DataKind is looking for an Office/Executive Assistant based out of our New York (Brooklyn) office . Named as one of Fast Company’s 10 most innovative nonprofits in their 2017 World’s Most Innovative Companies List, we are a global organization that harnesses the power of data science in the service of …

In the world of foster care, caseworkers play a critical role in making sure that children end up in permanent, safe homes. A caseworker is often a child’s main point of contact and source of security, so it can be extremely disruptive if children have to switch caseworkers. In a …

We hear that “data is the new oil” and that new datasets of “open data” can transform the way organizations work. However, knowing what data is available, how it was collected, and then how it can be applied is absolutely critical to creating anything of value. In the foster care …

DataKind’s Founder & Executive Director, Jake Porway, and Nick Hamlin, Data Scientist at GlobalGiving recently caught-up in DataKind’s offices for a chat. Here’s some of what they spoke about… A little about Nick… Data scientist, worm farmer and lives to make social good data accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone. …

Salary: £60,000 – 70,000 Location: London, UK Applicants are required to hold the relevant UK visas/ work permits. About DataKind UK Named as one of Fast Company’s 10 most innovative nonprofits in their 2017 World’s Most Innovative Companies List, we are a global organization that harnesses the power of data …

Photo Credit: Alison Bert for Elsevier When a natural disaster strikes, knowing where people and buildings are is of the utmost importance for saving lives. The World Bank Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and DataKind teamed up to understand how might satellite imagery and machine learning aide …

DataKind’s Founder & Executive Director, Jake Porway, and Friederike Schüür, Research Engineer at Cloudera recently caught-up in Brooklyn for a chat. Here’s some of what they spoke about… A little about Friederike… Neuroscientist, data scientist, accidental engineer Wrote her first line of Python code working on a DataKind project Recent …

Hands up if you’re so happy with your body image that you’d be willing to post a nude selfie on social media? I doubt there will be many takers! The idea of laying ourselves bare for all to see and judge makes us feel vulnerable. Yet a similar reaction is …

DataKind’s Founder & Executive Director, Jake Porway, and Cathy O’Neil recently caught-up in New York City for a chat. Here’s some of what they spoke about.. A little about Cathy… Mom, mathematician, data nerd, blogger ( mathbabe.org ), writer and self-proclaimed loud mouth. Author of the critically acclaimed 2017 text, …

DataKind’s Founder & Executive Director, Jake Porway, and Wes McKinney recently caught-up in NYC for a chat. Here’s some of what they spoke about… A little about Wes… Data scientist, founder, inventor, author and 33K+ Twitter followers Created open source Pandas package for data analysis in the Python programming language …

We are thrilled to announce that we’ve received support from The Rockefeller Foundation to shape a future vision of data science for social impact. This project will build on DataKind’s learnings from six years of connecting expert data scientists and AI engineers with social organizations to build innovative data-driven solutions …

DataKind’s Founder & Executive Director, Jake Porway, and Elizabeth Christopherson, CEO, Rita Allen Foundation recently caught-up in NYC for a chat. Here’s some of what they spoke about… A little about Elizabeth… Civic entrepreneur; builder of ideas, organizations and networks; inveterate asker of questions Leads the Rita Allen Foundation, a …

DataKind’s Founder & Executive Director, Jake Porway, and DJ Patil recently caught-up for a chat. Here’s some of what they spoke about… A little about DJ… Husband, dad, data maverick Chaos Theory mathematician Served in 2 Administrations on domestic and national security US Chief Data Officer 2015-17 appointed by President …

We were thrilled to host a DataDive June 22-24 in partnership with Google Cloud and the 11th Hour Project, as well as with the support of Elsevier Foundation, Teradata and American Airlines.

Guest post by DataKind Singapore

Guest post by DataKind Bangalore

At a 2017 DataDive presented by USA for UNHCR, #GivingTuesday and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a team of DataKind volunteers led by Evelyn Lang, Ravin Pierre, and Friederike Schüür worked alongside Rita Ko and Franck Mujyanama of USA for UNHCR to see how emerging technologies like data science and newly available data sources might be leveraged to help the organization raise awareness and showcase the refugee experience to inspire more donors to give.

We’re thrilled to be hosting a DataDive June 22 to 24 where we will be partnering with three mission-driven organizations working to promote healthy environments and resilient communities. Because we may have a full house this weekend, please continue to check this blog for the latest updates on event capacity if you are local and planning to attend!

Image courtesy of The Commit Partnership

Guest post from DataKind Bangalore

Reflections from DataKind Founder and Executive Director Jake Porway

DataKind Singapore hosted another DataDive this April, gathering around 70 volunteers for a weekend of analyzing data to help three phenomenal organizations advance their missions. Learn more about the work achieved in support of the Community Justice Centre, Law Society Pro Bono Services and Effective Altruism.

Three “Data for Good” Lessons from DataKind San Francisco’s Volunteer Day with Lava Mae

Eager to flex your data skills for good? Every month, we do a roundup of the latest Data for Good jobs, volunteer opportunities and events from DataKind as well as other organizations around the world!

In 2017, DataKind completed a multi-year project in partnership with Microsoft helping the cities of New York, New Orleans and Seattle leverage data science to improve traffic safety and support their local Vision Zero efforts. In New York, we partnered with the NYC Department of Transportation to develop models to estimate traffic volumes on streets across the city and allow city officials to test how different street characteristics impact the number of injuries at specific locations. Check out the video below for an overview of the project.

Can government partner with hackers to deliver better services? The National Day of Civic Hacking answered with a resounding yes! In support of this day, last September, we teamed up with the Office of the D.C. Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Code for DC, to help tackle …

Child welfare continues to be a growing concern in the United States, with the number of children in foster care having increased steadily since 2012. According to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), approximately 437,500 children were reported to be in the foster care system in 2016. Whereas, in 2012, the number of youth in foster care was estimated at 397,000.

 Photo credit: JB Bodane

As an organization focused on using  data science to support humanitarian issues, DataKind knows that ethics are of the utmost importance. In this blog, DataKind UK outlines the ethical principles their community has created. Read on and see what you think. Is this a code you’d adopt? What would you add? Join the conversation by leaving comments below and stay tuned for more on this topic.

 As part of National Volunteer Week 2016, we are profiling our DataCorps volunteers of projects past, present and future. These volunteers donate a whopping 5-10 hours a week over the course of several months to apply data science techniques that can help advance a social change organization’s mission.